"There was no need to rush Nandini" Manik eyed her across the width of his desk as she stood facing him puffing hard, her face flushed from the effect of running up the stairs.
It would be better to go back to her old habit of waking up early and doing ten rounds of running every day, Nandini thought breathlessly. Her father had developed this habit in her when she had been five years old and she had done this ever since. He used to run with her and encourage her to push a little more when she would be on the verge of giving up. As a result of this, she had been the fastest runner during her school and college days. It was always heart-warming to see her father's face glowing with pride whenever she used to win a shield for sports and show it to him. He had never missed any of her annual functions or Sports Day for as long as he had lived. Later, they had to stop running together because her father's health had started deteriorating and he had become too weak to run. Still, he used to come to the garden to watch her while she ran. She had continued this habit even after his death. But since last year, she had got too busy to run.
Her previous job had become more demanding which hadn't left her with much time to do anything else and after she had been kicked out she had been so busy in job hunting that she hadn't remembered to run. Thanks to her parents' genes that despite eating so much chocolate after every break up and almost no work out at all she was still in shape but she hadn't realized until now just how much out of condition she was.
Although the real reason for being so uncomfortable and jittery, she knew, was seeing Manik Malhotra again. While climbing up five flights of stairs, her heart hadn't been hammering because of lack of stamina but because she was going to see him.
And as expected, Manik Malhotra was completely calm and relaxed as he sat back comfortably on a leather seat behind an expensive desk, his jacket hanging neatly behind the door and his muscles almost visible through his white silk shirt.
He really was one of the most handsome men she had ever seen. Stella had been right about that part at least.
"I didn't rush" she assured him, still a bit breathless. "I just preferred to walk up rather than use the lift."
He grinned with understanding. "I can't blame you for that after this morning" he commented as his gaze moved down the length of her legs. "No new boots yet?" his dark brows raised.
Not ever likely to be, if Russell had his way!
"Not yet" she evaded, having no wish to enter in a negative conversation about one of this man's managers. She knew who was going to come out worst in that talk.
"Hmm" Manik looked at her quietly for a moment. "Do sit down Nandini" he invited smoothly.
Why was he talking her to sit down? Was he doing this so that there was no danger of falling down when he fired her? Maybe. Well, he needn't worry. She had no intention of doing that or becoming hysterical again. Now that she had calmed down she didn't feel that what happened in the lift earlier had been entirely her fault! Okay, maybe most of it. But if he had just told her his full name rather than just saying Manik, then she would have at least stopped herself from calling him insulting names. In fact, it wasn't fair of him to blame her at all!
"I will stand please, if you don't mind" she said carefully. She hadn't been given the chance to justify herself properly when she had been kicked out of her last job. She was going to make sure that it didn't happen again this time as well. She was going to have her say whether this man liked it or not!
"I can see that you have recovered well from your ordeal" Manik said in a mocking tone. Apparently, this man too, like Russell, wasn't used to having his orders not followed. Whatever, she wasn't getting any closer to him. And what did he say just now? Ordeal? Exactly which ordeal was he referring to? Being stuck in the lift, fainting or discovering that the man who had kissed her was Manik Malhotra himself?
